


A Blend of Forget-Me-Nots

by xDeaa



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Bisexual Female Character, F/F, F/M, Julian living his life in the background, Muriel is the main character, NewTuber Asra, NewTuber Nadia, NewTuber/Blogger Female Character, Portia mentioned, Slow Build, asra and Julian strictly platonic cause I don't think they'd be a good couple sorry y'all, episodic, unless I don’t update lol, updates tuesdays, wasn't sure if this would end up being slow build but yes I think it's
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:55:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25398766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xDeaa/pseuds/xDeaa
Summary: Muriel ignored Asra and his grandmother when they insisted he deserved more. He knew the severity of what he had done. He got out, relocated to Northern California with his grandmother, took odd jobs until he found the Crestwood Wolf and Wildlife Conservatory, focused on bringing wolves back to the state. He moved on! He was with animals again, working toward a vet degree, keeping busy—he was fine... Or he thought he was, until her.(ModernAU; Will eventually have mature scenes, but would be marked in the chapter title. May change the title.)
Relationships: Muriel (The Arcana)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27





	1. Barley

**Author's Note:**

> I have absolutely no idea how many chapters this will have in the end. Get ready for some melodrama and some incredibly gushy romance. All the chapter titles will be teas or drinks consumed in the chapter. Absolutely none of these chapters will be consistent in length. Have fun y'all!
> 
> Updates 1-2 times a month ~~unless I don't~~
> 
> if anybody wants to know more about or draw Diana, [here's her character page](https://deaasbabies.weebly.com/diana.html)

_a tea made from roasted barley  
profile: toasty; slight bitter undertones_

All in all, it was a normal day.

It was a Thursday—avian duty for him at the Crestwood Wolf and Wildlife Sanctuary, focusing on various owls and hawks. They tended to like him as he was quiet and tall, like a human-tree that gave them snacks for which they didn’t have to fight.

Muriel grabbed a bucket of brushes, heading toward the wolf sanctuary during his 15-minute break. He looked around the grounds, watching patrons eye the wild animals in their habitats—some looked very uncomfortable, while others looked ecstatic.

He moved between groups swiftly, not making eye contact with anyone.

“Muriel,” someone behind him called out. He looked back to see his manager, Serena waving at him. “After your break, I’ll need help with the foxes!”

He nodded in answer, turning back around to—run into something.

He looked down, finding a woman rubbing her shoulder where he ran into her.

“Ow…” she groaned, before looking up and whispering, “Holy shit, you’re tall.”

He closed his eyes, irritated. “Yes, I’ve heard.” He turned, about to stalk off.

“Wait, what’s your name?”

“…Muriel.”

“Muriel… I like it.” She smiled up at him.

He almost smiled back, almost asked her name, before he thought better of it.

“I’m Diana!”

“…Hello, Diana.”

He liked the name but didn’t tell her, choosing to walk away instead.

Against his judgment, he glanced back at her. She was just staring at him.

He felt heat rise to his cheeks and rushed toward the wolf enclosure, down a slight hill.

Inanna yipped in a greeting before she even came into his sight. He smiled softly as he reached the bottom of the stairs, unlocking the first door to the giant fenced enclosure.

“Hey girl,” he greeted as she came into view, rubbing a bit of dirt on his hands off the floor. He relocked the first door before unlocking the second door and stepping inside.

Inanna bounded over to him, shoving her nose into his palm and whining happily.

He sat down next to her, setting the bucket down and fluffing up her fur. “Heeyy girl.”

He took a brush out and began to run it through her fur, smoothing it down with a soft stroke.

“She’s beautiful,” a voice came from above.

He looked up to find the woman from earlier, watching them from outside the fence.

He almost didn’t reply. “Inanna is the only wolf you can attempt to pet here.”

She smiled, asking, “Does that mean she’d let me pet her?”

He waited a beat. “Maybe.”

“So, the others are a definite no?”

He shook his head, imagining them biting her hand. “Definitely not.”

The conservatory tried to keep a bit of wild to the wolves. Inanna was different. She took to Muriel as soon as he started working there.

A soft silence took over as he brushed the wolf and Diana watched them.

He finished petting her, standing up with a hand over his eyes and squinting from the sun.

“Hey, um…” she started.

He stared at her, waiting for her to continue.

She seemed nervous. “What time does your shift end?”

“Later,” he grunted.

“Um… What’re you doing after?”

He watched her, noticing her hands wringing the other.

“Look,” he started, “I don’t… You… I’m not looking for anything right now, relationships or otherwise.”

“Oh—I—no, it’s…” She nodded hastily, continuing, “It’s nothing, never mind. It was nice meeting you.” She turned and quickly returned to her group, heading toward the foxes.

Inanna pressed her nose to the back of his hand, giving him an inquiring rumble.

He glanced down at her. “I thought she was asking me out, but I’m not sure anymore.”

She snorted, prancing out in front of him.

“Hey,” he grumbled, “People ask me out all the time! …I just… well, you know.”

He reached down to pet her. “I’ve got you, anyway.”


	2. Green + Forget-Me-Nots

_low-caffeine content tea for soothing nerves and restful sleep  
profile: mild; floral; grassy_

Muriel coughed into his inner elbow, wondering where the hell Asra was.

“He’s late,” he mumbled to himself, bundling up further in his blanket on the couch.

He considered texting him, but he’d have to unravel the blanket. He stared at his phone, coughing intermittently, waiting for the screen to light up with a call or message from Asra.

Just as he was drifting off, a knock on the door pulled him from what would’ve been a refreshing nap.

“Finally,” he grumbled with effort, standing up from the couch and heading to the front door.

“I’m coming.” He wasn’t sure Asra could hear him with his voice even more raspy.

He opened the front door, asking, “What took you so long?”

The woman he ran into weeks ago stared up at him, an electric kettle in her hands and a fairly full tote bag tucked under her arm.

“Uh, hi?” She grinned uneasily.

“…What’re you doing here?” He leaned over her head, ignoring her frown and looking down the hallway for Asra.

His voice came from the stairway. “Hey, you dropped something down the stairs—Muriel!” He spotted his giant friend in the doorway in front of Diana. “Good afternoon! We come bearing gifts!”

Muriel just stood there, towering over them.

“Are you going to let us in?” Asra chirped.

“Uh, yes… yea.” He stood aside, letting them past.

He watched Diana look around his apartment, her eyes lingering on furniture, art, and decorations—lots of wood and even more earth tones. She stopped in front of one piece in particular: tacked on the wall, a piece of ripped quilt his grandmother gave him. It depicted half of a story about a man that turned into a bear. Her hand reached out, almost touching it, fingers ghosting over the needlework.

Asra stepped into his view, raising an eyebrow at him. “Do you know each other?”

“We’ve… met.”

“How?”

Diana turned around at this, answering, “I met him at the Wildlife Conservatory when I went with Nadia. He was petting this really beautiful wolf!”

“Really?” Asra turned back to Muriel, eyes boring into his face with interest.

“I also ran into her,” he mumbled before coughing into his blanket.

“Ah, I should probably start the tea,” Diana offered, hearing the coughing fit.

She slipped past them to the kitchen, setting up the electric kettle and unpacking her bag.

Asra moved Muriel to the couch, making him sit down.

“We brought homemade soup for later and Diana’s famous cold remedy tea for now.” He held out a large container of sloshing liquid. “Chicken and lentils.”

“Thanks…”

Asra set the container of soup on the coffee table.

Muriel lowered his voice, speaking through the rasp in his throat, “Did she know she was coming for me?”

“I asked her for help for a friend. Didn’t say who.”

“…How do you know her?”

“She’s a fellow NewTuber! We’ve been friends for almost 2 years now.”

“I’ve never heard you talk about her…”

“You don’t ask me about my Vlogging life. I wasn’t sure you were interested.”

Muriel cleared his throat instead of answering, suppressing a cough.

Asra tilted his head, questioning, “Are you interested… in her?”

Muriel avoided looking at the twinkle in Asra’s eye directly, saying, “No.”

“I see…”

“There’s nothing to see.” He glanced at Diana.

She hovered in the kitchen, concocting a tea blend, seemingly muttering to herself. He thought it looked like she was dancing.

“What does she blog about?”

Asra smiled at his friend. “Mostly herbalism, homemade teas, gemstones, and the occasional tea-reading.”

Muriel nodded in response.

Asra looked over his shoulder before whispering, “You know, she’s pretty cool. Funny, smart—she’s cute too. You still like’em short, yeah?

“I—” Muriel blushed, looking away. “Why are you saying this?”

“It’s ready,” Diana beamed, coming out the kitchen area with a small tray in her hands, carrying Muriel’s teapot and a few of his mugs.

Muriel’s blush deepened, his whole face going red.

“Here you go,” she spoke softly, pouring a mug-full for Muriel. She had unknowingly used his favorite mug and he picked it up, curious.

The tea she made was heavenly, like on another level. It was an experience of blended honey, green tea leaves, a hint of lemon, and something floral…

“Forget-me-nots?”

Diana smiled. “Yeah. How’d you know?” She poured a cup for herself, sipping.

“…It’s my favorite.”

Her smile grew bigger. “It’s a powerful flower with a lovely scent. It should help you sleep later.”

Asra smiled, his eyes darting between the two of them. After a moment, he cleared his throat at Muriel.

“Um… Thank you… Diana.”

“It’s no problem.” She took a sip of her tea, not meeting his eye. “Anything for Asra.”

Muriel glanced at his friend, who was happily drinking from his cup.

“Right…”

He looked down in his cup, watching the steam, before taking another warming sip.

Asra, placed his cup down, announcing, “I have to use the bathroom.”

He shuffled away quickly, leaving the other two alone in silence.

Muriel continued to stare at his teacup.

“So… you like the tea, then?”

He nodded, leaning back into the couch. “It’s delicious.”

“Great, good… I’m glad. Uh, look, about last time—”

“It’s fine,” Muriel interjected, not meeting her eyes. “I assumed you were asking me out. I’m not in a place for dating right now, so I may have—”

“No, I was asking you out.” She smiled at him and he pretended he didn’t blush. “Don’t worry about it. I won’t make things awkward.”

He nodded instead of speaking, opting to take another sip.

Wait… Did that mean she expected to see him again?

“Well,” Asra spoke, popping up out of the bathroom. “We should probably head out.”

Diana stood up in response, finishing the last of her tea. “Alright, sounds good. I’ll pack up.”

Asra watched Muriel avoid his gaze while Diana bustled about in the kitchen. After a moment of silence, he narrowed his eyes at Muriel and pointedly asked, “Hey, Diana—why don’t you read Muriel’s tea leaves while we’re here?”

Diana reappeared from the kitchen, her bag packed and electric kettle back in her arms. “Um, I guess I could.”

She set her things on the coffee table, stepping up to Muriel, who was avoiding looking everywhere but his eye level—her chest set right in front of his face.

Seeing that he had mostly finished his tea, Diana asked, “Can I get your cup?”

“Y—Yea…” Muriel held it out for her, still not looking.

“Wait, swish it around first.” She mimicked it with her hand, jiggling a bit unintentionally.

He blushed again, swishing quickly before handing it to her again.

“Hmm…” she hummed, considering out loud. “Did you have a specific question?”

“…No.”

“Well, in general, it seems like you’ll be out of your comfort zone for the un-seeable future… but you’ll enjoy it. I can’t tell it it’s the entire time, or just in the end. It’s fairly vague.”

Asra’s eyes shone behind Diana, an eyebrow perking up at Muriel over her shoulder.

Muriel glared at him, stirring up a coughing fit.

“Ah, we’ll go ahead and leave you,” Diana started, placing the mug on the table. “Drink another cup or two before having a bowl of soup for dinner.” Gathering up her stuff from the table again, she added, “If you have any questions about the tea or soup, you can text or call me. I left my number and some instructions in the kitchen by the teapot.”

Muriel ignored Asra mouthing various demands to contact her, instead saying, “Thank you, again.”

Diana headed toward the door, Asra glaring at Muriel as he followed her on the way out. She stopped at the door, speaking, “It was nice seeing you again. I hope we get to talk more when you’re not sick.”

She stepped out the door as Asra said his goodbye, hiding his agitation from Diana, but letting it loose on Muriel in the form of mouthed yelling. _What was that?! You better call her! At least text._ “Bye, Muriel.”

Muriel stared at the door after Asra closed it, wishing he could lock it with his mind.

Next thing he knew, he woke up an hour later on the couch, fever dreams of a smirking Asra and a humming Diana drifted to the edge of his mind. He stood slowly, heading to the kitchen to heat the teapot back up for another cup of tea.

He eyed Diana’s number on the piece of paper she left.

Maybe once he was feeling better, he could treat her to dinner as thanks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (obviously I don't know how to read tea leaves, but I was gonna research that later)


	3. Oolong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter before a longer chapter~

_a traditional semi-oxidized Chinese tea  
profile: light; depending on leaves, can be sweet, woody, or fresh_

The day he felt completely better, Muriel stared at the phone number he saved in his phone, (an old iPhone Asra gave him years ago, fed up of seeing him with a flip phone). He was stuck between wondering why he added it a few days ago in a fever haze and if he should call her—or text.

His finger hovered over the button options and the screen changed suddenly.

Asra’s contact picture took up the screen.

He answered the call, greeting, “Hello?”

“Have you called to thank Diana yet?”

“Asra.” He warned, his eyes closing in irritation.

“Sooo no?”

“…I was about to when you called.”

“Great! What’re you gonna say?”

“I’m just going to thank her by buying her dinner.”

Asra waited a beat. “So, a date?”

“Not a date, a thank you dinner.”

“This sounds like a date to me.”

“It’s not.” Muriel gritted his teeth.

“Do you like her?”

“I—Even if it was yes, it’d be irrelevant.”

He could practically hear Asra smiling through the phone.

“Look, I’m going to hang up now,” he announced.

“Hey, wait! Tell her it’s a date or I will!” Asra yelled as Muriel pulled the phone away to hang up. The screen switched back to Diana’s contact profile.

He tapped _call_ before he could decide otherwise.

Muriel counted the rings, wondering if he could hang up before she picked up—

“Hello?” came her voice through the speaker.

He panicked.

“Hello?” she asked again.

“Hi Diana. It’s—It’s Muriel.”

“Oh h—Hi! Hey.”

“Thank you for the tea and soup. They were d-delicious.”

“No problem at all. I’m glad you enjoyed them.”

He hummed in agreement.

After a few seconds, she asked, “Is that all that you called for?”

Did he imagine a hitch in her breath?

“No.” He took a deep breath, trying to calm his heart pounding away in his chest. “I wanted to thank you with dinner… Friday at 7?”

“Dinner? Yeah, that’d be great.”

“There’s a place I like with good meat. I can text the address.”

“Cool,” she said with a chuckle, “I’ll see you Friday.”

“Okay.”

“Bye, Muriel.”

“Bye.”

He waited until he heard the click of the call ending, letting out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “Fuck… Friday.” He had two days to prepare.

Not that there was a need to prepare for a thank you dinner.

Need or not, he spent the next two days trying to decide if he should buy a new shirt, trying to ignore his panic about what he would say to her.


	4. Black

_oxidized tea that can be made from various leaves with differing flavors from one to the next_   
_profile: strong; flavorful; broad_

Muriel stood in front of his mirror, staring at the outfit he picked out. The light wash jeans he liked, but he kept changing his shoes and shirt. Black shoes, black shirt. White shoes, gray shirt. Black shoes again, but dark green V-neck instead.

He paused, pulling out his phone and opening up NewTube. He wasn’t subscribed to many channels, just Asra and some wildlife care vlogs. He tapped on Asra’s page, immediately spotting her under similar channels/pals.

He sat down on the edge of his bed, scrolling through her website. _Tea Things: Homemade teas, recipes, and tea readings._ He browsed through her posts, showing lots of pictures and videos of various mugs, tea blends, and lit candles—most featuring Diana in front of green and teal knickknacks and video thumbnails. He added a few videos to his NewTube watch list, usually queued up with nature compilations and painting tutorials.

With a soft smile, he locked his phone, settling on the green shirt he had on. He grabbed a denim jacket to put over it.

Muriel took his keys off his key hook—some bronze thing Asra gave him some time ago—and ducked out the door. The place was fairly close, so he walked, enjoying the light spring breeze ruffling through his hair. He thought about pulling it back into a bun, but decided against it, letting his hair cover part of one eye.

Once at the location, he checked his phone for a text from Diana, finding one from Asra instead.

Asra 😼: Have a fun date! 😋

Muriel: Not a date.

Asra 😼: Does she know that??

Muriel’s eyebrow twitched in irritation.

“Muriel!”

He turned around to see Diana jogging up to him, waving. “Hey!”

“Hey,” he greeted, taking in the sight of her.

She was wearing a black dress with a palm leaf pattern—the light material flowed in the wind behind her. She had her ‘fro styled as normal, but Muriel spotted a few golden star-pins sprinkled around her crown. She was a good foot and some change shorter than him— ~~a couple inches shorter than anyone else he ever dated, but it wasn’t a date anyway~~ —but she seemed taller… He glanced down to see she was wearing platformed sandals.

“I like your shirt—very green,” she said, smiling.

“Thanks… Nice dress.”

Her smile was bright and he looked away, nodding at the half-circle of food trucks.

“It’s this way.”

He led her to the food truck in the middle, a black and teal giant sign sitting atop it. _Meat + More._ They stepped into line and Diana looked over the menu.

“What _meat dish_ would you recommend?” Diana asked, a smile playing at her lips.

He glanced down, not directly meeting her eye.

“Uh, I usually get their marinated beef and vegetables. They season the rice too.”

“Ooh, sounds good.”

“…The shrimp and fish are also good.”

Muriel already knew what he wanted, just using the time to confirm it in his head.

Diana hummed in consideration beside him. “Does that mean you’d recommend the rice? What about the fries?”

“Both are good,” he grunted.

He glanced at her, indecision rippling over her face.

“…Get both.”

“Huh?” She whipped her head to look at him, obviously caught off guard.

“Get both,” he repeated. “I’m paying.”

She did just that, and she did it with a bounce in her step.

The food was prepared quickly. They grabbed their paper-compostable bowls and sat at a nearby table—after Diana quickly wiped down the tabletop with a small spray bottle and napkins. (She looked up to see him staring at the bottle and explained it was a natural sanitizing recipe she made with her mother a few years ago.)

Muriel started on his beef dish, as Diana spoke up.

“You know, Asra warned me this—tonight could be awkward.”

He froze midchew, waiting for an elaboration.

“You don’t talk much, sure, but it’s nice.”

“Nice how?”

“Like you’ll open up more if-slash-when you want to, and if you don’t—well, I can tell you’re someone who doesn’t hang out past when they wanna leave.”

“…That’s true.”

She chuckled, “So that means that to an extent, you must like me?”

“That’s not—” He blushed and filled his mouth with rice.

She laughed harder. “Nah, I’m just teasing.”

He swallowed, before saying, “Anyway, thank you for the tea. It was good.”

Also deeply satisfying and refreshing.

“You’re welcome. I can make some more for you sometime. I’ve got tons of tea blend recipes.”

“Okay.”

“You said Forget-Me-Nots are your favorite?”

He nodded.

“Why?”

He shrugged, chewing his meat. He swallowed and said, “They’re small. Smells good.”

“Yeah,” she agreed, smiling at him, “when I dry out a batch for teas, I like to smell them the night before.”

“Right, the scent is stronger at night.”

There was a second of silence as they chewed.

“So where are you from?"

He stared at his food. “I… moved here when I was 20.”

“Why’d you choose NoCal and not San Fran or even Arizona?”

“It just—seemed far away at the time. I wanted to start over with my grandmother.”

“Oh yeah, what’s she like?”

“She’s great. She raised me after my parents… passed.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Her hand reached out, lightly touching his hand for a second.

“S’fine.” He shrugged, wanting to fast forward to the next conversation. “What about you?”

“Moved here a few years ago. I was looking to stay in California without the _La La Land_ prices.”

“Smart.”

“I thought so too! I was halfway through my junior year of college when I realized I hated it. So, I dropped out and got serious about my NewTube and tea blog.”

“How’s that?”

“Getting more traction. It’s mostly ‘cause I’m selling teas and I’m black owned. It’s a niche market.”

“That’s good.”

“Yeah, Asra’s been helping me out by doing videos together, showing my teas on his pages.”

“He’s nice like that.”

“How long have you known him?”

“Since we were kids.”

She considered this.

“Has he changed?”

He snorted. “No.”

“And you? I mean, have you changed?”

He met her gaze for the first time on accident.

“Yeah.”

He didn’t explain further and she didn’t ask further.

Offering to dispose their trash (in the compost, of course), Muriel took a moment to breathe.

“This wasn’t bad. I had fun,” Muriel stated, reaching the table Diana still sat at.

“Hey,” she started, standing up. “Would you maybe want dessert?”

He almost said no.

“What kind?”

“Ice cream, well, kinda.”

He shrugged.

“I’ll drive!”

Muriel followed her to her vehicle, a Toyota SUV; he wasn’t sure if his legs would fit. He needed to adjust the seat about, but he made it work.

The drive was short—Diana seemed to know exactly where she was going. She quickly pulled up to a Bip + Jessy’s, heading for the drive-thru.

Diana ordered cookie dough with strawberries on top. Muriel got his usual.

They got their ice cream and sat in the parking lot. She told a few ice-cream jokes and puns in between bites and he found himself laughing.

“Where do you learn to make expert-level ice cream recipes?”

He shrugged.

“Sundae school!”

He chuckled, taking another bite of Rocky Road.

Diana gave him a mischievous look from across the car.

“What?” Muriel asked, holding onto his empty bowl for dear life.

“C’mere,” she whispered, leaning in. “I have a secret for you.”

“Uh… sure.” He leaned over a bit.

“Little closer.”

He leaned in more, setting down his bowl in his lap and meeting her over the car console.

She moved a hand to cup around his ear and her voice tickled against it.

“I’m glad you asked me out.”

He smiled, a blush creeping onto his face until he realized her wording.

Her lips settled on his neck, making a trail of butterfly kisses.

“I—wait… was this a date?”

Diana sat back suddenly, confusion on her face. “Was… this _not_ a date?”

“I—I—didn’t intend for it…” he trailed off.

A wave of realization washed over Diana’s face. “Oh no… I just assumed it—Asra made it seem like you—I’m so sorry, Muriel—”

Muriel sat back, face as red as a beet.

“I should go.” He turned to go, pulling at the door handle.

“Wait!” She didn’t unlock the door, instead insisting, “I wanna talk about it.”

He hesitated, hand still on the handle.

“Is it me?” she asked, her voice quiet.

“No.”

She waited, her hand lightly touching his shoulder, but he didn’t turn around.

“What is it?”

He didn’t respond.

“I just thought you might’ve liked me too,” she whispered, her hand dropping.

“…I should go.”

She unlocked the door and he stepped out. Muriel didn’t look back until he rounded a corner, seeing her car just sitting in the lot, Diana leaning her head on the steering wheel. He decided to walk home.


	5. Ginger

_tea made from boiling fresh ginger, a root used as a spice or_ _ingredient  
profile: root—earthy, spicy/peppery, sweet/citrusy_

After ignoring the first five calls, Muriel picked up.

“What?”

“ _Whaat?!_ ” Asra mocked him. “What happened last night?”

Muriel rolled onto his back in bed with a groan.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Muriel, you’re mumbling.”

“I said I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I just want to know what happened. Diana won’t tell me.”

“She, uh, thought it was a date.”

“Okay… and? Is that all?”

“She kissed me—my neck.”

He heard Asra attempt to stifle a snicker.

“And then what happened?”

“I left.”

“You left? What—Muriel! You can’t just leave. Did you say anything first?”

“It was bad enough last night; I don’t want to relive it now.”

“Muriel, you can like her, you know? I think you’re still too hard on yourself… You deserve more than you think you do.”

“…I’ll talk to you later.” He hung up.

Muriel buried himself under his blankets in bed. He was hiding in bed all day after the actually-a-date. He was off Saturdays and decided to not leave his bed. Errands would wait for another day. It wasn’t like he could focus anyway. Every time he thought about the night before, he just blushed and pressed his face deeper into his pillow.

This went on for hours, drifting in and out of sleep, until— _Ding!_

Pulling his head out the pillow, he looked over to see his phone lit up with a notification.

Diana: hey 😬

He blushed again, his fingers hovering over the keyboard. Should he text back immediately? Or wait?

He acted before he could decide.

Muriel: hey

Setting his chin on the pillow, he ignored his smile, pressing it down into the plush.

Diana: i had fun last night (for the most part) 😅

Muriel: me too

Diana: i’m just gonna say it

Diana: i want to apologize about the kiss-thing and making you feel uncomfortable enough that you wanted to leave and basically walk home

He hesitated, thinking of how to reply.

Muriel: thanks, I’m really not looking for anything right now

He sunk into the bed, watching the dots that showed she was typing.

Diana: again, i’m sorry that i pressured you! i can be friends if you’re open

Diana: won’t even try to date you unless you explicitly tell me either 😉

Diana: sorry that wasn’t a good joke! 🤦🏽

He chuckled to himself.

Muriel: that’s fine.

Diana: whew ok cool 🥳

Diana: i gotta film a vlog, but i’ll text you later?

Muriel: yea

Muriel: 🙂

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also kinda short 🤷🏽


	6. Bottled Water

_water in a bottle; types include spring, distilled, alkaline_   
_profile: watery, but like different from tap_

In the weeks following the actually-a-date, Muriel allowed himself to text casually with Diana in a group text Asra made. He christened said group text with the following message.

Asra 😼: G R O U P C H A T since we all know each other noww ✨

She was cool and funny, just like Asra said she was. Things were easier for him with the understanding that he didn’t want to date anybody. He wasn’t ready.

Not that if he was ready, he would date her, because that wasn’t true nor was it the point.

Obviously, Diana and Asra did most of the texting.

Diana sent them memes, asked random questions throughout the day—how their days were going, were they drinking enough water, if they thought a combination of scents would work—not to mention the “tag yourself” screenshots from PictaGram.

Most of the conversation flowed between Diana and Asra, but Muriel didn’t hate it as much as he thought he would. One Saturday he was off, he tagged himself as a bear in a screenshot she sent and Asra sent 7 different laughing-themed gifs.

With that, Muriel turned off notifications on his phone for the day.

He checked the weather before a quick run to the farmer’s market, freezing when Diana’s face popped up and covered his screen. She was calling him. (Asra snuck off with his phone once and suddenly Diana had a contact photo.)

He almost didn’t answer.

“Hello?”

“Heeyyy there.” Her voice was distanced, on speakerphone.

“Uh… what’s up?”

“Well,” Diana trailed off, as if looking for words. “I bought some stuff—bigger stuff—from Uskea for my place before realizing I can’t carry any of it.”

He waited.

She sighed, continuing, “I asked Asra for help, but he’s busy right now. He said—he said you were off today and that I should ask you.”

“Um.”

Silence.

“You know what, I’ll find someone else! It’s fine, uh, I’ll, uh…”

“No, I’ll help,” Muriel grumbled before thinking better of it.

He heard a hitch in her breath over the phone.

“Really?”

“Yeah… What—where are you now?”

“I’m actually still heading back.”

He hummed in confusion.

“Yeah, I was just sitting in the parking lot for like 20 minutes trying to figure out what to do.”

“…Wow.”

“I know, I know. I figured I should at least head back to beat traffic. But I’m about 30 minutes away now. Uh, I can send you my address?”

“Yeah. I’ll be there.”

“Cool. See you soon!”

A few moments later, he received these texts:

Diana: my address

Diana: no, send my address send

Diana: damn voice to text

They were followed by a pinned address that opened in his Mapped app.

He chuckled before going to change out of his workout shorts and into some jeans.

The ride to her place was a little over thirty minutes. He parked across the street as his phone chimed that he arrived at his destination. The street was fairly quiet, except for a few teens hanging out on bikes and skateboards a few buildings down.

He spotted her.

She was leaning on the back of her car, turned away from him, and watching the skaters.

Knowing he was about to engage in social interaction, it took a moment to work up the nerve to get out the car. He walked over, catching her peripheral attention over the roof of her car.

She jumped. “I—um—hey!”

“Hey.”

Diana stared up at him for a moment. “So, the stuff is back here.” She moved to open the trunk. “I took up the smaller stuff up already.”

He crouched to look at the boxes in the back. There were five long or wide boxes—all large and heavy. She had the backseats and passenger seat down to fit them inside.

“How’d you get them in the car?”

“Some people from Uskea helped out.”

He nodded.

“Are you sure you want to help?”

They held eye contact until Muriel looked away, grabbing a long box.

“Show me where to go.”

He hoisted the box onto his shoulder with ease.

“Yeah, okay.”

She led him up the walkway, through the gate (held the door for him), across a small quad, and up a flight of stairs—all while asking if he needed assistance, if he wanted her to go see if the building manager had a cart or a dolly or—“I’ve got it,” he cut her off.

As he managed the last corner of the box out of the stairway, Diana opened the door to her place, her foot awkwardly stretched out.

“One second,” she said, wincing, and slipped through the doorway.

A few seconds later, she opened the door, a black cat in her arms. “Sorry,” she started, holding the door for him, “Little One likes to dart out sometimes.”

He ducked under the doorframe, the box under his arm.

“Where?”

Diana closed the door and dropped the cat, moving toward her large couch. “Just put it on the floor here.” She pushed the coffee table further from the couch, making room.

Muriel placed the box in the new space, his eyes traveling around the room as he stood up.

The couch was big—a huge dark gray sectional that faced a fairly cluttered coffee table. There were 3 mugs on the coffee table alone, and taking in more of the room, he counted 2 or 3 more around. Something told him there were even more in the kitchen cabinet. There were multicolored books piling up on a small bookshelf behind the couch, and more on the floor next to it.

Behind the bookshelf, the wall was mostly covered—framed pictures and art pieces, some things tacked up with pushpins, some taped with painter’s tape, even random objects like a footlong white feather, a golden chain and pendant with a broken clasp tacked up, and a string with a small puffball attached dangling down to floor-length—he guessed for the cat?

The colors in the room were vibrant, but somehow didn’t overwhelm him. It was a weird balance and he wondered how she pulled it off. A good amount of it was green from various plants stationed around the rooms. Another glance around told him the gold and black accents were putting in a lot of work making sure the teal blanket, pastel purple lampshade, and multicolored illustrations and such didn’t clash.

She cleared her throat, pulling his attention.

“Uh, don’t look at the mess,” she said, picking up the mugs and moving them into the kitchen sink. “I usually tidy up when guests are coming.” (The kitchen was also cluttered, but mostly with jars of dried leaves, fruits, and flowers—he guessed for teas.)

He shrugged. “I’ll get the next box.”

He started to leave, but she followed him, continuing to open doors and hover.

Each time he brought up a box, she opened the door with her foot out and grabbed the cat or nudged it back, told him where to place the box, and started gathering things to put away.

He wanted to tell her she didn’t need to clean, but didn’t.

As he placed the last box down, she spoke up behind him.

“I got this for you on my way back.”

He turned to see her holding out a bottle of water—plastic. He grimaced at it.

“Sorry,” she started, seeing his look. “I try to avoid plastic as much as possible, but I thought you could use the electrolytes.”

He took it. “Thanks.”

“I could put some chunks of strawberry or something in it?” she offered.

He shook his head. “This is fine.”

“If you finish it here, I can reuse it for my plants.”

He nodded. “Okay.”

She insisted he sit on the couch to rest, though he felt fine.

He watched her start unboxing the horizontal bookcase and looking through the instructions. He sipped silently as she counted out all the pieces.

Diana stood and went down the hall for a moment—Muriel heard her ruffling around in another room. She came back with a small toolkit, humming to herself.

She stopped when she caught him watching her.

“Oh, my bad. I start humming and shit if I go without music too long.”

She stood and grabbing the remote, turning on the TV.

“Do you mind if I turn on some music?” She glanced at him, selecting a music app in the smart menu. “I’ll start singing the building instructions to myself otherwise.”

“Don’t care.”

As soft R&B rippled through the room, Diana settled back down on the floor next to the bookcase pieces, her phone sitting on the rug next to her. Each time it lit up, she read the notification, picking it up to reply at times.

The cat popped up next to him, jumping up onto the back of the couch to stare at him.

Muriel stared back.

“What’s its name?”

“Little One.”

“Hmm.”

“When I got him, I couldn’t decide on a name. I called him Little One as a placeholder, but that fit better than anything else I tried.”

Muriel patted Little One on his head, receiving a quick chirp before the cat jumped down. He padded over to Diana and sat on the instructions.

“…Did you want help?”

She looked up. “Nah, I’m good! The putting together is my favorite part.”

He glanced around the room again. “Is that why you bought more furniture?”

She chuckled at that. “Not really. I ran out of space on my old bookshelf though. So, I’m replacing it with this. Same with my old dresser.” She pointed at the box leaning on the wall in the kitchen. “That one’s for my new workspace! It should help keep things neat—er in the kitchen.”

He nodded before finishing off the bottle.

“Um…”

“Yeah, just leave that on the coffee table! If you’re ready, I can walk you out.”

He almost turned her offer down. But she already stood up, covering the little screws and nobs on the ground from the cat, and started toward the door.

She walked him all the way to his car.

“Thanks again,” she thanked him for the seventeenth time, “you really saved my ass.”

He shrugged, sliding into his truck. “’S’no problem.”

“Talk to you later!” She waved goodbye, stepping back onto the curb.

He watched her standing there in his rearview mirror. She only turned to go inside when his car was halfway around the corner.


	7. Sparkling Water

_alternative names: carbonated water, jazzy water_   
_profile: watery, but with pop, maybe some very very very subtle flavors_

The next morning, Muriel stepped out of the shower just as a call came through, interrupting the news update playing over his speaker.

He dried off his hand and answered.

“Hello Asra.”

“MURIEL! How. Was. Yesterday?!”

“…What?”

He toweled off his hair as Asra continued over speakerphone.

“What happened? Did anything happen with Diana?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“Nothing.”

“…Nothing?”

Muriel growled, “What. Do. You. Want?”

“Nothing.”

He heard Asra attempt to stifle a chuckle.

“Wait, wait, don’t hang up!” Asra shouted.

Muriel’s thumb hovered over End Call.

“I have some extra meat that’s going bad. Do you want it?”

“…What kind?”

Asra agreed to stop by after Muriel got back from work. Muriel was eager as he had put off going on a grocery run, running low on food in the house. He didn’t feel like dealing with people at the store. After finishing up in the bathroom and putting on clothes, he headed out to work, eating his breakfast of yogurt, granola, and some berries in the car.

The work day went by fairly quickly. The hawks were more cooperative than usual. Feeding and check-ups were a breeze. He was impressed with how fast his lunch and breaks came and went. Before he knew it, Serena was sending him home for the day.

“Good work today, Muriel.” She patted him on the shoulder as she passed by.

He grunted a thanks.

“See you tomorrow. You’ll be working with the hawks again.”

The drive home was uneventful and he passed the time planning a recipe around the beef Asra offered—he brainstormed something similar to a recipe his grandmother made often, thought out which vegetables he wanted with it, and even picked out the spices he’d use.

When he pulled into his parking spot, Asra was already there.

“Hey!” his friend greeted him.

Walking him up to the apartment, Muriel asked, “The beef’s a full pound, right?”

“A little over!”

Muriel smiled as he opened the door.

Even better.

Asra set the meat down on the counter as Muriel grabbed spices and vegetables from the fridge and cabinet. Glancing over, Muriel saw Asra settle on the couch, dropping his tote bag at his feet.

“…Am I supposed to feed you?” he asked.

He was planning on eating the beef dish that night and the next day for lunch—and not sharing it.

“Nah, I’m just hanging out.”

Good.

He quickly seasoned the sirloin strips, spreading it by hand, folding in the spices until Asra had something to say.

“So, yesterday—”

“Is that what this is about?” Muriel grumbled.

“Jeez, I was just gonna ask about Little One.”

“Oh…” he glanced at his friend, who was just watching him from the couch. “What about him?”

“Cute, right?”

“…Yeah.”

“And friendly?”

Muriel nodded.

“Chill enough to hang out with again?”

He raised an eyebrow at Asra. “The cat?”

“Uhhh, nevermind.”

Asra got up and followed Muriel to the kitchen counter. He hovered next to his tall friend, offering, “Need help?”

Muriel shrugged. “Chop those.” He pointed at some tomatoes and peppers.

Asra chopped in silence as Muriel started cooking the meat, emptying the bowl into a skillet.

“What’d you do?”

“Hmm?”

“Yesterday?”

“Not much really, just recorded a vlog and hung around the house.”

The sizzle of the beef cooking took over the space between them.

“That’s all?”

“Yeah, pretty muucchh—uh, oh, and—and—"

“Asra?”

“Yes?”

“…Did you set that up yesterday?”

“Huh?”

Muriel turned to look down on him, pulling his gaze.

“Diana said you were busy. You offered my help instead.”

“Not…” Asra trailed off, shaking his head yet refusing to look away. “I’m not sure… what you mean.”

Muriel stared at him.

“Anyway, wow, look at the time!” He smiled and it extended to his eyes. “I should head out.”

“Asra—"

“Sorry, I’ve gotta go edit that vlog I shot!”

Muriel watched as Asra grabbed his rainbow tote and practically sprinted out the door.

The meat started popping in the skillet.

He turned his attention back to the meal he was preparing. He coasted on autopilot until he was sitting at his table with a full plate and a Topo Chico in front of him. (Asra left a whole case at his place once and they weren’t bad.)

Muriel turned on the TV, settling on the NewTube smart app in order to catch up on his nature videos. (He was watching this one couple that had a few wolf-dogs in Colorado.)

Hovering over their recent video on his homepage, he spotted Diana’s face in a recommended video below and over some. The thumbnail of the video showed her holding Little One, posing behind the new table-drawer system he watched her start assembling.

UPGRADED MY WORKSPACE | honestly just a new table y’all.

On a whim—just to see the table and how things turned out—he turned the video on, skipping past the ads after 5 seconds.

Her intro was short—a stop-motion of tea leaves and flowers spelling out her channel name. She popped up next, opening with, “Greet-tea-ngs friends!” (The closed captioning spelled it that way.)

He snorted.

“Welcome back to my channel of all things tea! I’m real excited this week ‘cause I get to show off my new set up. As you know, my workspace has been less of a space and more of a clutter around my kitchen. Which—” she shrugged, “—isn’t terrible, but it’s made using the kitchen difficult.”

The screen switched from her to slow-mo clips of the new furniture with Little One chilling on top of the bookcase at some points.

“So! I finally took my happy ass over to Uskea and bought some stuff to help organize and add storage. As you can see, I got quite a lot of large bulky items for this organization project. You may be wondering how I carried all this shit with these weak arms.”

The camera cut back to her as she gestured to her biceps.

“I obviously had help! To my new friend, I’m not sure if you watch my vids or if you’re comfortable with your name on NewTube like that, buuttt I wanna give a major shoutout to my boy who helped me unload my car! You a real one.” She winked on screen.

He blushed and turned the TV off. He opted to eat in silence before studying for an upcoming quiz for his class.


	8. Orange Soda

_carbonated orange-citrus drink; kel's fave_  
_profile: citrusy, metallic_

Asra 😼: HEY

Asra 😼: What’re you doing tonight?

Muriel stared down at his phone, glancing up to look at the spread in front of him: empty plate of pasta, half-empty cup of water, notes from his Biology class he’d already gone over, and his tv set up for watching National Geographic.

Muriel: Nothing

Asra 😼: Wanna go see that new murder mystery movie?

He started to type a response and paused. Then he typed, “is Diana going?” but hesitated on sending it.

After he helped Diana with the Uskea furniture, Muriel saw her at least two times a week. It was weird. Mostly because he knew he wasn’t planning it. (Nor were these instances planned in the group chat, so it was always a surprise to see her.)

Over the last six weeks, Muriel noticed that if and whenever she was free, Asra invited her. Any time Asra dragged him out of the house, Diana was there. Hanging at Asra’s place, joining their biweekly hikes, picnicking at the park. Asra brought her with him when bringing Muriel lunch at work a couple times—she even tagged along to an indie concert they bought tickets to months in advance.

She was just _there_.

Smiling, excited, and constantly talking.

Diana wasn’t _unwelcome_ , per se, but her consistent presence was… consistent.

The thing about Muriel was he liked to be alone.

Asra—albeit annoying and a huge tease—was someone he had come to tolerate, even enjoy most of the time. Asra had the capability to sit in prolonged silence before whining about whatever Asra whined about.

Muriel was not sure Diana could do that.

On top of that, he didn’t like making friends. ( _And_ wasn’t good at it, not that it mattered.)

Asra 😼: Hellooo??

He still hadn’t sent anything. Asra kept typing.

Asra 😼: Diana and I are about to head over. Movie starts in 30!

Asra 😼: Be there or be square 💁🏼

Muriel considered being square. But then again, he enjoyed a good narrative and Asra tended to treat him to dinner afterward.

Muriel: Fine.

He mentally prepared himself as much as he could for the night ahead. No, really—he sat in the truck for 5 minutes before he started it.

On the way to the movie theater, Asra called him.

“Hello?” Muriel directed at his phone in the car mount.

Taking calls in the car made him nervous, so he only accepted them over speakerphone.

“Hey, where are you?”

“Fifteen minutes away.”

“Cool cool cool—we’re in line for tickets now. I’ll get yours for you.”

“Okay.”

“See you soon, buddy!”

He grumbled, glancing to make sure Asra hung up so he wouldn’t have to let go of the wheel.

It actually took 11 minutes for him to pull into a spot in the parking lot. He texted the group chat when he turned the car off.

Muriel: I’m here

He got out the car and locked it, turning to walk to the front doors when his phone chimed.

Asra 😼: gr888 I’m saving our seats

Asra 😼: Diana’s in line for popcorn, she has your ticket!

He pursed his lips at that and shoved his phone into his pocket.

It was literal seconds after he walked through the front doors that Diana called his name.

“Muriel! Over here!”

Blushing, he ducked his head and walked over, only stopping to assure the ticket-stub collector that the woman bouncing and waving in line had his ticket.

“Hey,” she said, beaming at him as he walked up.

He mumbled a greeting, ducking into his shoulders further at the glares from him cutting in line.

“You excited for the movie?”

He shrugged.

“Eh, I think it’ll be good. I’ve read mixed reviews, but c’mon—it’s Viola Davis!”

He nodded.

“Next please!” The movie-clerk glanced between Muriel and Diana, straining his neck. “What can I get for you two?”

“Oh, can I get a large popcorn, buttered?”

“Yep, of course!” He tapped on the cash register screen while the runner next to him went to grab the popcorn. “Any drinks?”

“Medium orange soda, no straw, and… Muriel, want anything?”

He shook his head.

She quickly paid and they headed to theater #4.

Muriel followed her shorter bouncing figure to their seats, grumbling a bit at where they stopped. They had picked middle seats in the middle of the theater.

“No, you’re not too tall to sit here,” Asra chirped before Muriel had a chance to use his words.

“We can’t move!” Diana piped in. “These are the best seats; no craning your neck or straining your eyes.”

Muriel grumbled again.

Asra pleaded, “Come on! You’ve never sat this close before, just try it!”

“Besides, I bet nobody will even sit behind you.”

Asra herded Muriel into a seat and then Diana next to him, saying, “We can share the popcorn better this way.”

“Yeah, help yourself!” she cheered.

He didn’t object, instead settling into silence. Diana and Asra’s chat melted into the various conversations around them as more people filed into the theater. Muriel let himself think about the upcoming movie while pretending his arm wasn't brushing against Diana’s, until:

“Ugh, I can’t see anything,” came a barely hushed voice behind him. “Scoot down.”

“That’s entirely too fucking tall.”

Muriel ducked lower in his seat—attempted to, anyway.

He glanced at Asra, who was reaching into the bucket of popcorn with his eyes on the screen.

Nobody else heard.

“Hey,” he heard under his head.

He looked down to see Diana leaning over.

“They’ll be fine,” she whispered. “It’s okay to take up space.”

She turned back to her popcorn as the theater lights dimmed. Perfect timing too. Muriel was flushed and uncomfortable, but grateful no one else could see. Thank God for previews.

After that, the trailers and movie flowed by. Diana was right about Viola Davis—he couldn’t see what people could complain about the way she carried the film.

“Damn, she’s so good,” someone whispered.

Muriel glanced over again—Diana again. That was her fifth or so comment so far. If he did confrontations, he would’ve shushed her. Maybe.

Asra hummed in agreement on the other side of her.

Back on screen, Viola Davis entered a hospital room, visiting her niece that had been hospitalized.

“Miss Watson… We did everything we could,” the doctor consoled as Viola broke down into tears.

The niece was in a coma.

The edges of the screen started to blur. There was a bit of pain in his palms and he had to look away.

And then a hand slipped over his forearm.

“Hey,” came a small whisper.

He looked over—again, Diana.

“You good?”

He paused and frowned. “I’m fine.”

Unballing his fists, he turned back to the screen. He didn’t look away for the rest of the movie, ignoring all of Diana’s comments and Asra’s giggles.

They stayed seated when Diana asked if they could watch the credits.

Muriel’s leg fell asleep.

They finally got out of the theater and Diana wanted to refill the popcorn. Before dinner.

Asra pulled him along with so they could talk more about the ending of the movie.

Once Diana was armed with the refilled popcorn, Asra started for the exit. “Okay, let’s go eat! There’s a seafood place nearby with a shrimp etouffee—”

“Oh, wait! I have to pee. Hold my popcorn!”

She pushed the bucket into Muriel’s arms and ran off to the bathroom.

A moment passed and he turned on Asra before he could think better of it.

“…Why do you keep inviting her everywhere?”

“What? What’d you mean?”

He balled and unballed his fists. “Every time I see you, she’s there too.”

“Well, she’s my friend and she’s fun to hang with.”

He grumbled. “I already don’t like leaving my apartment. I don’t like people. You’re the extent of people.” And even then, Asra can be a lot.

“Nah nah, she’s _cool_ people.” Asra nudged him with an elbow.

“…What?”

“She’s—never mind. But she’s a friend, and to be honest, she’s newer-ish to NewTube. She’s been struggling a bit on her blog. I’m just trying to help keep her mind off things. You just happen to be free on the same days.”

Muriel scoffed. “I _know_ what you’re doing.”

Asra grinned. “Not sure what you mean.”

“Either way,” he continued, quickly rolling his eyes, “it’s too much— _she’s_ too much, it’s exhausting to be around her this often.”

Wow, he said it.

“…Okay, okay. I’ll pull back some.”

He grunted his thanks as Diana called out from behind them. He avoided her gaze.

“Hey guys, I have to pass on dinner. I just got a call from a friend and I gotta go help them out.”

“Damn, really?” Asra whined. “I really wanted you to try that shrimp etouffee.”

“Yeah, I know… Sorry.”

She turned to leave.

“Your popcorn…” Muriel muttered, holding it out to her.

She took the bucket, not looking at him either. “I’ll see y’all later. Bye!”

They watched her stride away and out the front doors of the movie theater.

Asra frowned. “Huh, weird…”

They started toward the door themselves. Asra rode with her, so Muriel had to take him home. They were already at his car by the time Asra spoke again.

“Still want dinner?”

The giant shrugged, “I could eat.”

Asra kept mumbling as they got in the car, kneading the muscles in his neck.

Muriel stayed silent, watching his friend think through what was bothering him.

“She didn’t say which friend. Or helping with what.”

As he turned the car on, Muriel grunted, “What about it?”

He watched Asra’s face pale. “Fuck.”

“What?”

“I think she heard you.”

Well, shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yooo it's been a few months, how're y'all  
> it's 3:30am on a Thursday morning as I type this and I'm having a good time


	9. Mist

_a light watering for plants and people; a form of precipitation_  
_profile: really just water; fresh, light_

Muriel’s phone was officially dry, as Asra put it.

Since the night at the movie theater, his phone notifications cut in half.

Diana was noticeably less active in the group chat—particularly because she made up 55% to 60% of the chat. (Asra was about 35% and Muriel was 5%—10% on a good day.)

Asra attempted to jumpstart some conversations in lieu of Diana’s absence, but they didn’t pan out. He just didn’t have the attention span to keep it up.

During his lunch break one day, he received a text from Asra outside the group text:

Asra 😼: I THINK YOU BROKE HER

He put his sandwich down to reply.

Muriel: what?

Asra 😼: I’m calling

Muriel: don’t

Asra called anyway. Muriel considered not picking up, but decided to in the end.

“Hello?”

“You said don’t call, but you picked up anyway.”

Muriel shrugged, knowing Asra couldn’t see it, and grunted in indifference.

“Like I was saying, I think you broke Diana.”

“…How?”

“I wasn’t sure at first, but now I’m pretty damn certain she heard what you said. I’ve never seen her not spam in a group chat.”

“Spam?”

“Just—work with me here.”

“Okay.”

“Thank you. Like I said! You broke her, killed her spirit. I knew you didn’t like people, but that was mean.”

“I was upset and I didn’t think she’d hear.”

Asra signed. “Have you not apologized?”

“No.”

“……..No?”

“No….?”

“MURIEL.”

“What? Am I supposed to apologize I’m not even sure she heard?”

“YES.”

“Well…”

Was it really necessary? He wasn’t even sure she heard him say it. Asra could swear up and down that she did, but it all depended on if she actually did.

Besides, wouldn’t it be worse if he apologized and she didn’t know what he was talking about?

He mentioned this to Asra.

“No, I know Diana. She loves texting, it’s like her 3rd favorite thing about her phone after photo storage and not having to remember phone numbers. She definitely heard you or maybe something else happened ‘cause she’s been texting me A LOT separately.”

Wait.

“She has?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah! Like a lot more recently.”

His stomach flipped but he wasn’t sure why.

“About—”

His phone chirped in his hand, signaling his break was almost up.

“I gotta go.”

“Okay, just promise you’ll try to apologize!!!”

“Yeah, yeah, bye.”

He finished his sandwich and washed his hands quickly before heading back to the wolf partial-enclosure. His brain was foggy throughout the rest of his half work day, even when Inanna was prancing around him keeping the other wolves at bay.

All through getting home, changing out of his uniform, preparing early dinner, eating early dinner, completing an assignment for his online class—he kept glancing at his phone.

_DRY._

He thought of Asra pretending to choke on how dry his phone was.

He unlocked his phone and pulled up the group chat.

Muriel: Hey.

It took a few minutes for a reply to come back. His jaw unclenched when he saw it was Asra.

Asra 😼: hEY! Wow Muriel texted first what a concept

Asra 😼: What brings you here?

Muriel: Just bored.

Asra 😼: Aren’t we all? :3

Asra 😼: How was work for everyone?

Muriel: It was fine.

Asra 😼: OoOoO fine today! So spicy! 🥵 lol how’s Inanna?

Muriel: Also fine. I worked the wolf enclosure today.

Asra 😼: Good for you, I know you love those carnivores <3

The next text that came in was formatted a little different, notifying that it was in response to Asra’s earlier text “How was work for everyone?” with a little indent.

Diana: meh, I dropped iced coffee on myself :/

Muriel let out a breath.

Asra 😼: Y I K E S sorry hun ):

He had to think of something to say.

Muriel: That sucks.

He grimaced.

Diana: what about you?

Asra 😼: GR8! I’m editing my next vid, about to start putting b-rolls in

Muriel waited, unsure how to insert himself.

Asra 😼: W A I T

Asra 😼: UUGGHH 😩

Diana: what now?

Asra 😼: Well shit I thought it was going fine!

Asra 😼: Finished my b-rolls last night but somehow!!! forgot to do my voiceovers

Diana: psshh that’s nothing 🗣 MY TRIPOD BROKE IN THE MIDDLE OF FILMING

Diana: surprised my camera didn’t break too

Asra 😼: 🤭😬 damn girl nvm

He watched their texts fly back and forth.

Diana: 😭 idk what im gonna do

Diana: i ordered a new one, but it doesn’t come for another 2 days

Diana: 💀 I’M DONE FOR

Muriel’s fingers typed quicker than ever before.

Muriel: Do you need help?

There was a pause before her response.

Diana: idk… i think i can wait a bit or figure something out

Diana: I think Nadia’s free tomorrow???

Asra 😼: Don’t you update on thurs?

Diana: yeeaaa 😗

Asra 😼: GIRL THAT’S TOMORROW

Asra 😼: At least shoot and start editing tonight, you still work tomorrow, right?

Diana: yeeaaa ; -; okokok

Another pause.

Diana: Muriel? if you’re still interested, i could use help!

Muriel: Ok. I can be there in 30.

Diana: great, thanks so much! 🙌🏽

Muriel did a quick wipe down in the sink and refreshed his deodorant before heading out. (He still had the address from the past text.) He was there in 28 minutes.

Although, he did take 2 minutes to get out of the car.

He texted her that he arrived before crossing the street. She was already rushing down the steps and across the quad by the time he reached the entry gate.

She was wearing green again.

“Hey,” she greeted, opening the gate.

He nodded. “Hey.”

The walk to her apartment was quiet. He had learned to expect her need to fill silence with words, so this was strange to say the least. It wasn’t until she opened her door, (doing that blocking motion with her foot to stop the cat from running out), that she spoke.

“Thanks for helping out.”

“No problem.”

He stepped inside and looked around the room as Little One circled around to sniff at his ankles. He hadn’t been over since he helped her carry over all that Uskea furniture, but liked how she had changed things around in those two months. The drawer system she bought for her tea-making area was broken in, and while it wasn’t neat, it wasn’t dirty either.

She lit a candle at her workstation as she spoke. “I don’t wanna keep you too long.”

“I’m fully free tonight.” He crouched to pet Little One, the cat purring under his touch. “I already studied and everything.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yeah.” He stood up, done with the cat, and looked in her direction.

She stood in the kitchen with 2 jars in her hands, just watching him.

She looked like she wanted to say something, but didn’t.

“…I wanted…” he started, hearing Asra urge him to apologize again.

Diana waited.

“I wanted to… apologize for my… attitude before.”

She nodded, looking up at him.

He almost left it at that, but then she said:

“Oh, uh, thanks…”

He took one step closer, stopping when Little One bolted in front of his feet. “Um… I was upset with Asra… and took it out… on you………… I think you’re a… good person… I’m…… sorry for what I said.”

The smile she gave him calmed his heart.

“Thanks, Muriel. That—that means a lot. I’ll be sure to respect your space.”

“So what’s—” he cleared his throat, “what’s the plan?”

Putting the jars away, the tension left her body and she answered, “Well, it’s just a vlog following the process I used for a honeysuckle-citrus blend I made last year. I’d normally be fine with my phone, but I had quite a few wide shots planned for this video. Which, I used my tripod for.”

He nodded. “Just let me know what you need.”

Since he wasn’t a stable surface like a tripod, she had him do slow-moving clips, panning around the room and across whatever she was working on for the most part.

After the first few minutes, she started making conversation with him. It was the first time he was glad that she filled silence. (He asked if talking would ruin the shots, but she explained that it was mostly b-rolls at that point and she’d just edit it out if it showed.)

He was filming her mist the leaves of her arrowhead when he spoke first.

“You have a lot of plants…”

She chuckled, replying, “I mean, yeah. Half are for recipes; the rest are for fun.”

She misted some more.

“Do you have any plants?” she asked. “I don’t think I saw any at your place.”

“Nah, no plants. If I get anything alive, I think it’d be a chicken.”

She stopped misting to look at him.

“A chicken?”

“Yeah,” he resisted the urge to shrug. “Maybe a few, but not in the city.”

“Multiple chickens?!” she asked incredulously.

He paused. “What?”

“No, nothing, I’m just thinking about how small they’d be, like, just chilling in your arms.” She laughed like it was the funniest thing she’d ever thought of.

He frowned and his cheeks warmed up. “It’s not that funny.”

She calmed her laughter and turned back to the plants, agreeing, “You’re right, it’s more cute than anything.”

He felt his cheeks warm, glad she wasn’t looking.

“Okay!” she announced. “Just one last thing!”

Diana ushered him back to the kitchen, but on the other side of the drawer-table system she constructed and a few feet away. She pushed a wobbly barstool in front of him and placed the camera on it.

“Okay, I just need you to keep the stool steady for this last shot, and try not to make any sounds cause I need to get my voice on this mic.”

He crouched down to keep a hold of the stool, peeking out to make sure it was still lined up correctly. It took about twenty minutes to get the last shot because she kept giggling in the middle of her sentences. After the last take, she laughed for a few good seconds and grabbed her phone.

“What’re you laughing at?” Muriel asked after getting the all clear to make sound again.

“Here, I just can’t,” she snickered, snapping a quick picture.

“What?” He sprung up at the camera sound, blushing.

She slid over on her socks, showing him the screen.

It was a picture of his head sticking out next to the camera set up—sporting a strong frown.

She laughed. “You look like a bump on a log, but grumpy! Ooo—OHHH—Grumpy Bumpy!”

“What? What’s that?”

She pointed at him. “Your nickname!”

He was not pleased.

“No.”

“Ohhh yes, absolutely yes.”

“No!”

“Yes! It fits so well!”

“I’m leaving.”

She talked through her laughter, “Okay, okay, I’ll stop! I’m kidding!”

Diana made a light batch of tea for them, to thank him for his help. When he was ready to leave 30 minutes later, she sent him off with a few bags of the blend and a full stomach.

There was a text waiting for him when he parked at home.

Diana: thanks again Muriel! ✨

Muriel: No problem :)

He received a separate text from Asra that he immediately deleted.

Asra 😼: the Drought is over 💦💦😩


End file.
